Ott,

That is a good question. Haze is a singer/songwriter/guitar and keyboard player who lived in Nashville for quite some time. He played for many years in country star Darryl Worley and many others. He moved back to his home in Cincinatti a while back for family reasons I believe. I got to know him a bit while he was here and that guy is amazing.

What he and Polly are doing are demos and in some cases write melodies when people are unable to do so. TO have someone of Haze's experience is quite a bonus for people trying to find their way. He puts a LOT of work into developing these things and it is more than just the random "throw a melody together work." he works to help craft a substantial part of the song and he and Polly are doing demos on the product. It is a very good process. In some cases Haze asks for co-writing credit. I am not privy to those discussions but I am pretty sure it is all talked about up front.

In my business I teach the songwriting process by actually doing it. I work with artists and writers and help them develop songs around their personalities and teach them elements of craft and process that they hopefully will use in all their writing. The "Teach a man to fish" senario. I have done it 2039 times in the past 7 years and many of those artists and songs have found their way into record deals, publishing deals, and helping people further their goals.

In all these cases, we are "fee for services." The details are worked out between the parties.

In Nashville, a "co-write" can be constituded by energy in the room. There are many times artists really don't get anything in the song yet their creative energy help that song get directed. Sometimes it is very 50/50, sometimes it is varying degrees of that. In LA, and New York, Often producers list their "tracks" as a "co-write."

In a perfect world, everyone would contribute equally.but that doesn't always work, especially with newer people, who in this day and age often end up being the artists, since the business is geared around younger people. They have very little life experiences. So the more experienced writers have to help out in that regard.

Pretty much every song has to be taken on a song by song basis. And what works in one situation might not work in another situation. There is no right or wrong. Just differences.

As you notice, Brian mentioned I am more involved in the commercial market. Others have their own definition of what their art should be. None are totally right or wrong. A lot of different ways at looking at all this.

Hope this explains it for you.

MAB